Do you think the EL will ever be expanded or new lines added? (Chicago: subdivisions, taxes)

[Pebbs78]

Originally Posted by long101

If there wasnt public transit in the city this place would be a zoo, there would be way to many cars in the streets.

Yep, our traffic would look more like Los Angeles, (which has lead to high air polution).

[chet everett]

SW side had the overhead electrical powered buses into the 70's Eddie's Rail Fan Page: Preserved CTA 1951 Marmon Herrington trolley bus. The Illinois Railway Museum. Union Illinois USA. September 1982.

"Sparkies" were old even when I was a kid. I don't remember them accelerating any quicker than regular buses, in fact I vaquely recall that thye had a tendency to sort "cog" across intersections...

Illinois Railway Museum - Trolley Bus Department

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

And electric power is largely produced from coal, so you're just substituting one form of fossil fuel burning with another. This is why "plug-in Hybrids" are a bad idea.

Well, for one thing, stationary power plants are more efficient in energy production than internal combustion engines. Furthermore, eventually those power generating plants will become wind/solar/geothermal-based.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

To go back to old ways---to bring back the inter-urban railways would be more useful than bringing back streetcars. But now the bicycle riders use the old right of ways.

I agree. Trails to Rails.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Another word for "tram" is light rail, and I think these systems are quite a bit better than the streetcars of old. But light rail systems tend to offer more grade separation than the old streetcars. Wouldn't it be great to put a light rail system in the median of Lakshore Drive (or on the side)? On much of the lakefront it is a hike to the Red Line, and it would be great to return the drive to some sort of scenic parkway with less traffic. Right now it's current configuration does too much to cut of the city from the lakefront.

Personally, I wish they'd bury lakeshore drive creating a parallel subway system, and turn everything above into parkland. Of course thats wishful thinking and would cost untold billions of dollars/overruns. If nothing else, it would be nice if we could get some more pedestrian over/under passes

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by chet everett

"Sparkies" were old even when I was a kid. I don't remember them accelerating any quicker than regular buses, in fact I vaquely recall that thye had a tendency to sort "cog" across intersections...

I dunno, at the time I thought the electric buses were alot quicker than the internal combustion ones. I'm sittin' here trying to remember what streets had them. I'm pretty sure they were on Chicago Ave. and North Ave., maybe Division St. and Central Ave.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

I agree. Trails to Rails.

I wouldnt go that far. The good thing about our suburbs is we do have an extensive forest preserve and a very respectable bike path network. These trails present a very promising alternate form of transportation that could eventually link dozens of suburbs (even counties) in a true alternative manner. Encouraging biking is even better than public transit assuming you are close enough to your destination. The major hurdle has always been safe right of ways, which these trails offer. The key is filling in the missing gaps (as well as more over/under passes), which can take decades to accomplish.

[Lookout Kid]

I'm all for bike paths, but former rail rights-of-way that were converted to bike paths should once again be rail rights-of-way. It's far more difficult to acquire land for rail rights-of-way than it is to creat new bike paths, which can be more easily integrated into just about any location. The eminent domain that would be required today to creat a new rail right of way would be very difficult to pull off in today's political climate. But bike paths are much more popular.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by via chicago

These trails present a very promising alternate form of transportation that could eventually link dozens of suburbs (even counties) in a true alternative manner.

Promising maybe, they're a form of recreation not transportation. I used to ride my bike every day on the Prarie Path (for recreation and exercise) and saw damned few if any people using it for transportation, certainly not enough people to matter.

[oakparkdude]

If I was king of Chicago one of the first things I'd do (besides moving into my Lakefront penthouse, and renaming Soldier Field after myself) would be to turn the Bloomingdale right-of-way into an active el-line to re-establish rapid transit access to Humboldt Park.